'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎298] (317/622)

298
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
oftentimes to be reduced again when the immediate necessity
had passed, while midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. kept the watches on board the
c Tigris,' 'Constance/ and 'Mahi,' and oftentimes on board the
sloops-of-war; and, indeed, it was a rarity to see more than
one "pucka" lieutenant in any of the ships of the Indian Navy.
An officer seldom remained more than six months in one ship;
and it need scarcely be said that this constant chopping and
changing militated against efficiency, as, generally, officers
returning from a cruise had but just got to know their men,
when they were ordered into another ship about to sail from
Bombay, to make up her deficiency. That the Service was
maintained in its high state of efficiency, was certainly marvel
lous, and most creditable to the officers, though, perhaps, it was
in a measure due to their being uninterruptedly employed, for
no sooner had a ship arrived from a lengthened absence on a
foreign station, than the officers were draughted to another
about to sail; and this went on during the whole period of
their service in India. But, on the other hand, the policy of
the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. in keeping an insufficient staff of officers
to perform the duties of a considerable fleet, was the reverse
of a wise economy, as, owing to the heavy and unremitting
labour, a large number of officers were always absent on
sick-leave.
In 1835, there were twenty-one vessels in all, of which only
one was a steamer, the tonnage of the whole being barely
4,500; while, in 1855, there were eleven steam-frigates and
sloops, of 12,774 tons, fifteen iron river-steamers, of 6,026
tons, and fifteen sailing vessels, of 2,941 tons—the grand total
of tonnage, including two harbour steamers and eleven flats,
being 24,159 tons. The officers were worse off than in those
days, their prospects less promising, and their work heavier,
notwithstanding the augmentations of 1839, 1841, and 1847,
and the admission of officers from the merchant service, who
were employed in the river-steamers, with the rank of acting-
master. The Chairman of the Board of Directors expressed
his anxiety for the efficiency of the Service and his acknow
ledgment of their services, when he stated, " that the value of
the force to the Empire of India had been so frequently mani
fested and acknowledged, that the Court would merely revert to
Skelton, Taylor, Trollope, Wood, J. Carpendale, and Duval. From this time it
became the ordinary practice to create midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. acting-lieutenants on being
commissioned as mates. The Bombay Government, under date, 8th of Augus
1855, published, for the information of the Service, the following extract from a
despatch of the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. of the previous 30th of May: " we ta e
this opportunity of expressing our desire that the mates of the Indian avy
should be appointed by commission, as more in conformity with the pi ac ice
which obtains with respect to mates in the Royal Navy, with whom they a e
relative rank."